25 January 2010

When Gary Corby of A Dead Man Fell From the Sky and I were chatting on Twitter the other day, he mentioned how much more attractive to the average male the addition of zombies made "Pride and Prejudice". I can't say I'd ever felt the lack before, but we kicked around a few titles which might increase the ancient world's visibility today.

Purely by coincidence I can announce the translation of a fragments of a play found in the Oxyrhynchus papyri. It appears to be by a hitherto unknown tragedian, Andreas Arachnis.

The Phantom of the Great Dionysia

Enter chorus:Lightning-born son of Zeus and Semele,Great Dionysus, tell us of the kingof your mother's city,the man with theswollen feet, the son of Laertes and,O dreadful to say, of Jocasta.

Enter Messenger:I bring news sad to say.The father of our Oedipus,Not the man himself you understand,But the one who speaks his words,His father is dead and soWithout pollution he cannot enterThe god's precinct.

Choregos:The news is sad but worse still,how can we go on without anOedipus? How can we worship the god?

Messenger:There is a lad in this chorus you seehere now, he has been trained,he can sing the words.Exit Messenger

Choregos:Is this true?

Nikeratos: It is true sir.It is as the man said.

Choregos:And who trained you?

Nikeratos:I do not know, I cannot tell.It is a secret of the god.

Choregos:Well, let me hear you.

Nikeratos:This plague that afflicts my city,I cannot bear it. We must findwhat god has been angered.I will send to Delphi to enquire.

Choregos:As rosy fingered dawn lights the Maiden's templeI choose a new actor to play Oedipus.One with experience of many festivals.

Messenger:A man or perhaps one of the immortal godsGave me this message of doom.If you do not obey, disaster will fall.Exit Messenger

Messenger 2:From mountain girt Delphi I comeWith word from the far shooting oneGiven through his oracle.Obedience is always wise.Remember whose is the mask.Exit Messenger 2

Choregos:My chosen actor will speak.

Hermodoros:Can I who solved the riddleof the Sphinx rest quietwhileBrekekekex koax koax

Chorus:Brekekekex koax koaxBrekekekex koax koaxExit chorus

Choregos:Frogs. My whole cast are frogs.Very well let the boy try.

Nikeratos:Wife, given to me by the cityas reward and by your own handas wife and more than wife.Come out of the palace and tell meof time gone before I came to this place.

Messenger:O, terrible to relate.How can I speak and yetHow not?

Choregos:What is it?

Messenger: Foul death.I can say no more.

Choregos:Speak on.

Messenger: Death comesin many forms, but this!Unspeakable.

Choregos:Tell me.

Messenger:Just as in years gone byDenaira gave her husband a robeAnd Jason's wife from ColchisGave his new love a crown of fireSo, O, how can I say it?Your chorus put on their robesAnd were burnt. Flesh charred from bone.Terrible were their screams. Still I hear them.

A chorus of Scythians entersGoddess of justice, you whopunish man's overweening pride,aid us. Come from the landof the Hyperboreans or whereveryou are feasting now, and help us,we implore you.

Choregos:Where is this murderer? How can he be found?

Nikeratos:He has a lair, in a caveunder the temple sacred to the Muses nine.I can take you there.Lacuna

Choregos:See where he rises in a chariotdrawn by dragons sent by the Queen of Night.He takes the body of Nikeratos with him.The gods have done this.Nothing turns out as we expected.The music is ended.

Although a translation into English has been prepared, no scholarly commentary or apparatus criticus has appeared. If anyone would like to contribute notes to such an enterprise, please feel free to add them to the comments.